Spirit Wind scoring the Honorable Miss at Saratoga in July. (Adam Coglianese/NYRA)
Oaklawn Park Release
HOT SPRINGS, AR – The accomplished Spirit Wind bids for a stakes victory at a fourth track in Saturday’s $150,000 Poinsettia at Oaklawn.
The 5 ½-furlong Poinsettia, for fillies and mares, 3 and up, is the ninth of 10 races, with probable post time 4:14 p.m. (Central). Racing begins at 12:30 p.m.
Spirit Wind will be making her Oaklawn debut for Florida-based trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., who has a string of horses in Hot Springs for the first time this season. Spirit Wind and stablemate Haulin Ice were cross-entered in the $140,000 Sugar Swirl Stakes at six furlongs Saturday at Gulfstream Park, but Joseph said both horses arrived Tuesday at Oaklawn to compete this weekend.
Haulin Ice, a standout Arkansas-bred, will run in Sunday’s ninth race, a $133,000 open allowance sprint for 3-year-old fillies. Joseph entered five horses in the Sugar Swirl.
Spirit Wind is the 8-5 program favorite for the Poinsettia, which drew a field of 12. A 5-year-old daughter of Bahamian Squall, Spirit Wind has a 7-3-2 record from 15 starts and earnings of $644,090. Her past performances are littered with top-shelf female sprinters, including champions Echo Zulu and Ce Ce and Grade 1 winners Vahva, Alva Starr and Brightwork.
The speedy Spirit Wind captured the 2023 Sugar Swirl (she was then with trainer Carlos David), $100,000 Memorial Day Sprint Stakes May 27 at Lone Star Park and the $200,000 Honorable Miss Handicap (G2) July 24 at Saratoga. All three races were six furlongs.
Miller Racing (Myron Miller) privately purchased Spirit Wind following the Sugar Swirl and she moved to Joseph’s barn.
“She’s obviously had a great year for us,” Joseph said. “She was able to win that graded stake at Saratoga, which was big, and she won a couple of other stakes along the way. Just trying to cap it off in this race. Thought it was a good spot; 5 ½ to six (furlongs) is probably her best distance.”
Spirit Wind is scheduled to break from post 7 under Fernando Jara. Spirit Wind removes blinkers after wearing the equipment in her last six starts. She exits a troubled third, as the even-money favorite, in the six-furlong $300,000 Dream Supreme Stakes Nov. 9 at Churchill Downs.
“She never ran in a full blinker,” Joseph said. “She ran with an extended blinker early on when we got her. She had a tendency to lean out, so we put it on. She ran well in it, but last time she didn’t break as well as we think she should. Just figured we would take it off. She’s run without it before, so things should be fine without it.”
Spirit Wind is seeking her sixth career stakes victory. She was a two-time stakes winner in 2022 at Gulfstream Park for now-retired trainer Ralph Nicks.
Spirit Wind’s top challengers include Fibber (9-2) for 2015 Oaklawn training champion Chris Hartman, who claimed the 3-year-old daughter of Frosted for $100,000 out of a third-place finish in a May 25 sprint at Churchill Downs. Fibber won her first two starts for Hartman, including the $175,000 Audubon Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 7 furlongs Aug. 11 at Ellis Park. Fibber has never faced older horses.
Royal Spa (4-1) is seeking her first career stakes victory. The Rodolphe Brisset trainee was a 2023 allowance winner at Oaklawn. High Class (10-1) won the 2023 Poinsettia for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. Holly Dolly (12-1) has won her last five starts for trainer H. Ray Ashford Jr.
Asternia (12-1) is seeking her first victory since the $200,000 Purple Martin Stakes for 3-year-old fillies March 16 at Oaklawn. Asternia, who is trained by Randy Morse, is also entered in Sunday’s ninth race at Oaklawn.
Laura’s Charm, Dealing Justice, Pistol, Makeup, Ms. Bucchero and Girls Weekend are also entered in the Poinsettia.
